The Wilmingtonian., 1887-12-03
Ventilation of Rooms for the Sick.
BYc. H BUsHoNe.

I
A few remarks on general ventilation Al
appropriate as an Introduction to the subje,
under consideration. The Importance
this subject has been recognized only shol
time. Since 1t has been agltated aud ha
come to be generally known, a ,ew professio
has been ushered into being---thst of san
tary engineer. These, while they differ wide
ly in many things. all agree on two points
namely First: The necessity of means 70
getting in plenty of new, pure air, to make
building healthful habitation for man
Second: That Infinitely few modern dwell
liDgs possess adequate means for furnishing
this supply.
Lack of pure air in dwellings is direci
result Of our advancing eiv,lz 2tion, result,
we should say. that now bids ,aIr soon to b.
Il thing OF the past Until recently the mai
object iu planning houses has been to max,
them as nearly air-tight as possible. They
protect their occupants better from the vi.
cissitudes of climate than those Of centur,
or more ago, but they also give aaem almost
no ventilation. They give more comfort with
less heathful surroundings; LUXURY at the ex-
pense of purity Of lung food. A dwelling
made tight enough to keep cold air out will
also keep foul air in, houses of our ancestors.
being less tight. Al owed free passage Of
air out and In, and their occupants were ex-
empt from many modern diseases that we
now know to be due TO confinement In the
foul air OF close roooms. In this respect,
our forefathers were better off than we arc.
If we read the signs of The times Alright.
the era Of unventilsted houses Will soon be
ended. The Investigations of Sc 4ntists have
born fruit, and as the people obtain more
thorough knowledge Of the results of their
labors, they will become in an equal degree
averse to living In air-tight houses. The
discovery of spores, bacteriae and poisonous
gases in contaminated air has began revo-
luton in house building. The dissemination
of this knowiege has made, and will make,
people demand that their homes shall be free
from these deleterious substances. This de-
mand is even now SO general that builders
dare not make dwellings without some
device TO give at least the appearance of ven
tilation, 1t is true that many of these con-
trivances are put in merely to allay the ap-
prehensioLs Of the prospective occupants,
and are totally inadequate for the purpose;
yet, the fact that the people demsad some
thing is a heathful stgp. It eivs su }daticn
foH a hope that, in the near future, ve shall
have al homes furnished with easy and am
pie means for giving the occupants thai
abundance of pure, clean air, that Ia so need
ing for condition of periec' health.
Mauy Of our modern Diseases are direotl,
du' to The re-brrathl lng Of impure ar s m
d ~rllings are pest houses fur the accu I.
ulariou and ret ntion Of atmo pheric impu, /.
ties. l. order to have health we must dr,y.
out the tainted air, with its noxinus gases.
products OF bud ly waste, and disease germs.
aud supply an abundance of fresh air to
take its plaoe.
The oxgcn, so necessary to life, come,
from the atmosphere, vast ocean of ar
that turrounds tho earth. This is about one
fifth oxygen, and nearly four-fifths Is nitro
gen, an inert diluent. Every timo air ia
taken into the lungs portion OF, tho oxygen
passes through the thin walls of the air cells
(vesioles) directly into the blood. In return,
the blood gives up csrbonic acid gas, "a poi
son. and many impurities IN tue form CT
cast of waste products, for which the sy stem
has no further use. The expired air is thus
injured In two ways. The nourIshing prin
ciple is deficient, and the poisonous elements
are increased. 1t can injure both in the way
of not aifordipg enough oxygen, and also by
returning into the system lot of hurtful
things of which it has made an effort to rid
ITSELF by casting them off.
To be continued